1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to security systems, and, more particularly, to a system for identifying and authenticating a vehicle and its passengers before allowing entry into a secure area.
2. Related Art
Entry points to secure facilities, such as military bases, commonly use require manned gateways to check person identification and prevent access by unauthorized personnel. Historically, this has involved guards who personally verify people's identity. This manual practice has many suitable applications, particularly where the level of security is not high and only a limited set of people are authorized to enter. However, if security regulations require use of rigorous authorization procedures, and if the number of people entering is large and personally unfamiliar to the guards, the time necessary to complete authorizations may result in excessive delays. Furthermore, authorization based on human observations is prone to human error.
A number of technologies exist that can enhance personnel authorization processes for security purposes. Many of them have been implemented using fingerprint readers, facial recognition systems, and other forms of biometric sensing. Unfortunately, many of these implementations require the person being screened to physically approach sensing devices and submit themselves physically for examination. At a vehicle entrance point, this means either exiting the vehicle or having the sensor input devices brought to the vehicle for the passenger(s) to provide input. In both cases the vehicle must come to a stop. Queues of vehicles can form as a function of the time to process each vehicle and the number of vehicles attempting to pass through. In this respect, the stationary use of biometrics technology will not improve traffic flow through a security checkpoint. Thus, there is a need for a system that combines biometrics sensing and communication linkage with moving vehicles passing through a security checkpoint without stopping.